Automatic switch-stand.



B. E. STAGGS. r AUTOMATIC SWITGH STAND.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 31,1908.

930,897, y 'Patent-.ea Augg'lo, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/NVE/voH I E, STAGES ATTOHNE YS El. E. STAGGS,' AUTOMATIC SWITCH STAND.

APPLwATIoN FILED 1220.31, 190s.

930,897. Patented Aug. 10,1909.

WITNESSES T afw ELIIIAH E. STAGES A riw. s. GRAHAM nl wow-momma wlsmluot u (L 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. E. STAGGS.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH STAND.

APBLIOATION FILED Do.s1,19oa.

Patented Allg'. 10, 1909.

SHEETS-SHEET a.

ATTORNEYS ELIJAH E. erases, or-nlionirn, 'rnniirronv or New MEXICO.

ATMATIG SWITCH-STAND. l

To all whom it. may concermj Beit known that I, ELIJAH. E. STAccs, a

kcitizen of the United States, anda resident of I-Iachita, in the county of Grant and Territory of YNew Mexico, havermade certain newj anduseful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Stands, of which the yfollowing is a specication. l e

My invention relates to switch stands and more; particularly to thattype of switch stands known as automatic switch stands, and it consists in the` combinations, :constructions and' arrangements' herein ,dei scribed and claimed. l, 3

An object of my inven -ion is to provide a novel form ofmechanism for automatically keeping the switch pointsjup against the stock rail, thereby preventingaccidents due to the leaving of the switch partly open.

A further object vide anlautomaticswitch in ,which the target will always ir'idicate' the true condition of the switch. This obviates agrave danger which arises from 1 the use' of switch stands of the ordinary kind since with the present invention .there must be `a positive movement by some one who wishes the switch to be changed before the target will indicate such change.,` `lhen the vchange has been made the target will be shifted to indicate the change and' will be positively locked in its shifted position.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel mechanism for accomplishing the;above results, simple in its nature yet certain of operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear inthe following specification and the novel featuresV of the invention will be particularly pointed out'inzthe appended claims.,

My invention is" illustrated in'theaccompanying drawings, in which-4 Figure 1 isA a vention,`part of the exteriorbeing broken away.v showing the interior operating mechanism. Fig. 3' is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3` of Fig. 2 looking in the direction ofthe arrow, and y the application of my invention to a pair of tracks. Y v

In carrying out my invention I provide a base A of wood or metal, upon which is a casing B. This casing has a two-fold purpose, one purpose being to support certain of the working parts and the other being for Specification' of Letters 1Patent. Application filed llecember 31, 1908.

of my4 invention is to pro-V which 1s comparativelyk perspective viewof my in- Fig. 2 is 'a vertical sectional view Vthe under side o Figutis a view showing Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

" Serial No. 470,208.

the purposeof affording lprotection against the weather.v It will beunderstood, however, that `the supporting parts may not necessarily be in the form herein shown, and that any suitable b., b, vshown in the drawing, I may have two wooden frame-posts, resting *A on the base A and supporting the top bx. 1 0n either side of the casing arevthe flanges @provided with bolt holes o for the purpose of securing the stand toa firm support.

1 .Within `the casing, upon the base A, is located an arc-shaped block D, see Figs. 1 and 3.v This block is for the purpose of locking a trigger E pivoted` at e in a slot e of a trigger carrier F. The trigger is provided with a pin c2, which is engaged by a leaf'spring c secured tothe member F. The trigger carrier Ff, is pivotally mounted on the target lrod Gr, which entends throughjthe top of the base, see Fig. 2upwardly through the casingB and is connected to Vthe extension G by l-means ,ofr a collar'c'.. Theextjension G supports at its upperend the target H. The trigger carrier at one'end arranged to'movably engage a bolt 11 carried by a rod I. The rod I has rounded extensions 71X and Y on'either end, which project throughthe sides of the casing t form of support may be provided. Thusinstead of the sloping sides Y F is provided with a slot f Y Band are connected with the rails of the Y' tracks onA either side of the stand. Encirlcling each of the rods X and Y are the spiral 'springsS vand S,respectively, each being provided with the washers or heads fw at theirends; y

Within the casing are disposed the L- shaped levers L and L being pivoted between the arms ZV and Z., which project from the side walls as clearly shown in the drawing. The bottom parts Z2 of these levers are forked to straddle the rods X and z'y, and they are arranged to engage the heads w of the springs S and S.A `Pivotallysecured to Vf the top of the base A are the catches K and K, having the projections 7c and 7c', which are adapted to project upwardly through the opening a in the base top, being normally held up'by the springs s ands. To the Ainner end of each of these levers there is an inclined arm O, O provided with laterally projecting Vends o, o having curved cam surfaces o2 on their under sides.

Surrounding the rod Gr and movable therealong is the carriage I. On4 one side of videdwith stops o at the ends thereof and locked against the end of the block D. If the trigger E is toward the left as shown 111 will be set accordingly.

lagainst the stock rail by the carriage is an L-shaped flange p through which there isfa-boltorpin Q, which forms the pivotal member for a loosely depending trip R. The opposite side of the carriage is provided with a lug T, as clearly shown inthe drawing. j e

Above the casing B is located the handle! frame U, which consists of an upright portion rotatably mounted on the rod G and a laterally extending portion u which has a longitudinal slot to permit the entrance of the handle YV, which is pivoted at u and is provided with a laterally extending end we, which is pivotally 'secured to a link w3 that extends through the slot and through the casing and is pivotally attached to the carl riage PQ The handle l/V is provided with a hole w4 for the reception of a locking pin to hold the handle down as hereinafter described. Upon the top of the casing is located an are-,shaped locking member V proslots o arranged to receive the handle W. The collar cx, which forms a union between the `rod Gand its extension G, serves to keep the handle frame in position. The collar X on the rod vG servesto limit the movement'of the carriage P, while the collars and x2 on the lower end'of. the rod G serve tokeep the latter in position.

' The foregoing description of the various parts of the device will be sufficient for a clear understanding of the operation thereof. i In Fig. 4 the switch stand is shown at Z with the rods X and Y connected to the movable rail plates s of the tracks I and II. In setting the switch the trigger E should be I the Fig. 8, then the handle IV should be toward the right, as shown in Fig. 2. If the switch Vis injthis position, then the tracks will be in the position shown in Fig. 4 and the target It will be observed that the switch points are held tight up means of the tension of the spring S, which will not permit the movable switch points to leave the stock rail even though the latter should spread.

In effecting the switching operation, the handle W, which is in one ofthe slots fv, is raised, thereby forcing down the carriage and raising the trigger E through the medium of the trip R. Under the action of the spring S the switch is immediately operated and the track portions are shifted. During this operation. the trigger carriage is thrown to the opposite end of the arc- I shapedblock, thetrigger dropping into position and locking the mechanism. At the same time the, target is turned to indicate the changed condition. The handle I is now swung around to the opposite side until it comes in registration with the slot o. The handle is now pressed down until the l trip Q engages the cam-shaped surfaces of Y retaining lever K of the L-shaped lever L, thereby releasing the latter. At the rame time' the lug T, which is now under the lever L, forces the latter inwardly, thereby conlpressing the spring S and thus againv setting the switch. rIhe trip R is now in posi tion immediately over the trigger E ready for a subsequent operation. In order to provide for thefurther prevention of accident, the handle IV may be locked in its shifted position by a switch lock or pin passed through the opening c and through the upwardly extending end 105 of the member u.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a device in which the operation of thc switch is effected by means of springs under tension and that the switch points are held always in close engagement with the stock rail by means of the action of these same springs.

VI claim` l. Ina switch stand, a switch rod, springs carried by said rod for shifting the switch, a pair of levers yarranged to engage said springs for setting the latter, a target rod, a movable carriage disposed on said target rod, and arranged to operate either of said levers, and means for moving said carriage.

2. In a switch stand, a switch rod, coiled springs carried by said rod for shifting the switch, a pair of forked levers arranged to engage said springs for setting the latter, a target rod, a movable carriage disposed on said target rod and arranged to operate either of said levers, and a handle for shifting said carriage.

3. In a switch stand, a switch rod, coiled springs carried thereby for shifting the switch, a pair of forked levers for setting said springs, a 4pair of spring-actuated catches for retaining said levers, a target rod, a carriage movable longitudinally of said ta-rget rod, means on said carriage for engaging either of said levers, an arm on sa-id carriage for actuating said catches, and a handle for operating said carriage.

4. In a switch stand, a switch rod, coiled springs carried thereby for shifting the switch, a pair of forked levers for ysetting said springs, a pair of spring-actuated catches for retaining said levers, a target rod, a locking trigger for said rod, a carriage movable longitudinally of said target rod, means carried b f said carriage for actuating said forked levers, an varm on said carriage for actuating said catches, a depending trip for actuating said trigger, and a pivoted handle for moving said carriage.

5. In a switch stand, a switch rod, coiled springs carried thereby for shifting the switch, a pair of forked levers for setting said springs, a pair of spring-actuatef catches for retaining said levers, a target rod, aV spring-actuated locking trigger for 'said rod, a lockingfblock arranged to co-v 536,89*? i' Y i @l Operate with said trigger, a movable carlcarriage, anda frame pivoted on said target riage disposed on said targetrod, means earrod and arranged to carry said handle.

ried by the earriaoe for aetuatinv' said forked l levers, means caired by said zarriage Vfor ELIJAH E' STAGGS actuating said spring catches, means carv Witnesses: y

ried by said carriage for actuating said v L. F. KEDZIE,

spring trigger, a handle for moving said J; A; LEAHY; 

